At Hi 5 Youth Foundation, our journey is shaped by people who believe in the power of play to change young lives.

Our founders, board members, and leadership team bring their experience and commitment to guide Hi 5’s journey — creating opportunities for children to play, grow, and build their own path through basketball, on and beyond the court.

Co-founders

R Sundar

R Sundar

Co-founder & Director

R Sundar is the co-founder of Mastek Ltd., one of India’s early global tech solution companies and Executive Director of Majesco Ltd, the U.S. subsidiary of Mastek. He is also a board member of Sankara Eye Foundation, a US-based non-profit organization that works toward eliminating curable blindness in India.

His love for basketball and interest in helping underprivileged children right from the grassroot level were instrumental is the founding of Hi 5 Youth Foundation. He strongly believes that underprivileged children lack the infrastructure, direction and opportunity to play and excel in sports in India. ‘Play’ is also a great medium to nurture young talent, inculcate values in them and encourage the strive for excellence. At Hi 5, Sundar is responsible for the overall direction, scaling, funding and financial sustainability of the organisation.

Usha Sundar

Usha Sundar

Co-founder & Director of Operations

Having been an instructor and volunteer at various social sector organizations involved with children, youth and adult education in India and US, Usha Sundar took up the role of Director of Operations at Hi 5 Youth Foundation. She was keen on co-founding Hi 5 Youth Foundation because she has always been involved in helping out other NGOs that nurture lives of underprivileged children and basketball is a sport that’s close to her and family’s heart.

Apart from managing the daily operations of all the centers at Hi 5 and functioning of the programs, she is also personally involved in designing and rolling out the life-skills training to the children with a special focus on empowering girls at Hi 5.

P Ramaswamy

P Ramaswamy

Co-founder & Director of Coaching

P Ramaswamy, (known as Ramesh and Ramu Sir in basketball circles) has been actively associated with the game the last 35 years—as a student, player, captain, referee and coach. He has represented University of Mumbai and Mumbai North District at state championships and as a captain, he has led his team to famous wins during his time!

His inspiration and love for the game comes from his father Shri G. Parameswaran (GP sir), who was the coach of the Indian Women’s Basketball team as well as an international referee. At Hi 5, he is responsible for the high quality structured coaching program, that aims to nurture and develop coaches and young players with strong emphasis on fundamentals and a drive to excel. He currently works as the Associate Director, Banking and Fin. Services, at Cognizant Technology Services, one of India’s leading IT companies.

Board of Directors

Aditya Siroya

Board of Director

Aditya Siroya, hailing from Bangalore, India, is the Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of rePurpose Global.
rePurpose Global is an all-in-one platform for packaging circularity - used by 500+ companies including Mondelez, Colgate, and Mars to measure, report, and act on their packaging. Our software tools power 90+ regulatory compliance reports and recyclability claims. We operate one of the largest plastic collection supply chains globally, funding the removal of 100M+ pounds of hard-to-recycle plastic across vulnerable coastlines, and bringing formal waste management to over 2 million people in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Aditya’s accomplishments have earned him recognition as a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree and a World Economic Forum SDG Champion. He is an alumnus of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Aditya is actively engaged in sharing insights on the circular economy frequently participating in global events such as the UN Plastic Treaty INCs, World Economic Forum meetings, Sustainable Brands conferences, and SOCAP forums. He is driven by a mission to accelerate the transition to a resource-efficient circular economy and ensure dignified livelihoods for workers affected by consumption habits.
His love for basketball and interest in helping underprivileged children right from the grassroot level were instrumental is the founding of Hi 5 Youth Foundation. He strongly believes that underprivileged children lack the infrastructure, direction and opportunity to play and excel in sports in India. ‘Play’ is also a great medium to nurture young talent, inculcate values in them and encourage the strive for excellence. At Hi 5, Sundar is responsible for the overall direction, scaling, funding and financial sustainability of the organisation.

Gopalakrishnan R

Board of Director

Gopalakrishnan (“Gopal”) R is the Founder and Director of Ekalavyas, India’s pioneering basketball media and ecosystem company, which he has built over the past decade to advance the sport through media, partnerships, talent pathways and community development.
A National Law University, Jodhpur graduate, Gopal has worked with leading basketball organisations including FIBA, NBA India, the Basketball Federation of India, the Sacramento Kings, and several other national and international stakeholders. His work spans sports media, communications, strategy, grassroots development and ecosystem building.
As a Board Member at Hi 5 Youth Foundation, Gopal brings an outside-in perspective on organisational strategy, governance, partnerships and long-term growth. He is particularly passionate about building sustainable ecosystems for basketball and other underrepresented sports in India through credible, long-term institutional development.

Apart from managing the daily operations of all the centers at Hi 5 and functioning of the programs, she is also personally involved in designing and rolling out the life-skills training to the children with a special focus on empowering girls at Hi 5.

Leadership

Anshul Jain

Head – Operations

Anshul leads operations at Hi 5 Youth Foundation, where he helps run one of India’s largest free grassroots basketball programs reaching over 4,000 children across 8 states. Over the years, he has focused on building strong teams, improving program quality, and expanding Hi 5’s reach to more communities.

With a background in sports management and engineering, Anshul has earlier worked with organizations like KOOH Sports, Box8, and the American School of Bombay. He enjoys spending time on the ground with children and believes in the power of sport to build confidence, and opportunities for every child.

Vignesh Iyer

Vignesh Iyer

Program Head

Vignesh has been associated with the Hi 5 Youth Foundation for over a decade, during which he has witnessed remarkable growth alongside the organization. In his role as Program Head, he works closely with coaches, children, and schools to ensure that every child receives the best possible experience in basketball and life skills.

For Vignesh, basketball represents more than just a sport—it is a powerful medium to instill confidence, teamwork, and discipline. What he values most is witnessing children realize their potential, both on and off the court.

Kevin Francis

Kevin Francis

Program Head

With over a decade of experience at Hi 5 Youth Foundation, Kevin has been instrumental in transforming the organisation’s basketball program from reaching a few hundred children to now impacting thousands across multiple centers. As Program Head, he oversees program strategy, implementation, and partnerships, ensuring alignment with Hi 5’s vision of changing young lives through play. His leadership focuses on driving measurable impact, fostering life skills in children, and building sustainable collaborations with stakeholders to expand the foundation’s reach and effectiveness.
Arti Agarwal

Arti Agarwal

Head - Pathways to Success

Arti Agarwal works as the Head of Pathways to Success at Hi 5. In this role, she mentors teachers and coaches to help students continue their academic journey while balancing their passion for basketball. She has over 20 years of experience in education, which includes leadership roles in International schools in China and India. She is an active WASC accreditation visiting committee member for schools in Asia. She loves traveling, trekking, cooking, and, above all, teaching math to middle school students.
Mausami Padhya

Mausami Padhya

Senior Manager – Marketing and Communication

Mausami is a marketing and communications professional with over 12 years of experience turning ideas into impact. At Hi 5 Youth Foundation, she leads the marketing and communications efforts — helping shape the brand’s voice and ensuring campaigns are clear, consistent, and impactful. Known for a collaborative approach and strong project management skills, she has played a key role in building visibility and engagement across initiatives. Passionate about purpose-driven work, Mausami is excited to contribute to Hi 5’s mission and be part of creating a positive impact. When not crafting comms plans or brainstorming taglines, she’s enjoying a chai break, fueled by good vibes and Hi 5 energy.